Patent Application
20090107047
This invention is generally related to overhead-type garage doors and, more particularly, to overhead sectional door panels having overlay elements on a surface thereof.
Overhead or retractable doors that are commonly used for garage doors, truck doors, warehouse doors or the like. Known overhead doors of this type are convertible between an open, overhead or generally horizontal configuration and a closed, generally vertically oriented configuration in which the door closes an opening in a building, vehicle or the like. Known overhead doors are movable along a track assembly mounted proximate the opening and the track assembly includes a generally vertical track section, a generally horizontal track section and a curved transition track section joining the horizontal and vertical track sections together.
Overhead doors of this type are conventionally constructed of a number of vertically arranged, horizontally oriented panels which can fold along horizontal divisions between the panels to enable the door to pass along the curved transition section of the track when being opened or closed. The panels can be pivotally coupled together with hinges on the interior surface or back face of the door panels. The hinges articulate during pivotal movement of the panels. Such door panels for many years were predominantly constructed of wood. However, wood door panels are both costly to manufacture and heavy in use, resulting in difficulty when opening and closing the garage door.
To address the drawbacks of wood door panels, sectional overhead door panels having an outer metal skin have replaced wooden door panels in many applications. To produce lightweight door panels with desirable strength and rigidity, however, it becomes sometimes desirable to integrate various elements with the door panel. It is sometimes desirable to add decorative overlay elements to a surface of such door panels for ornamental purposes.
The addition of overlay elements for structural or decorative purposes, however, presents known challenges. For example, when exposed to relatively high ambient temperatures, the overlay element will expand or contract. More particularly, an overlay element may expand or contract at a rate and by an amount that is different from that of the underlying outer skin of the door panel. This expansion or contraction results in added stresses on coupling elements such as adhesives or fasteners that allow attachment of the overlay element to the skin of the door panel.
A need exists, therefore, for an overhead door panel having overlay elements and which addresses one or more of the drawbacks noted above.
The various embodiments of this invention offer these and other advantages over known overhead door and panel designs. In one embodiment, a garage door has pivotally connected door panels, with each of the door panels including an outer skin having an outer surface. The outer skin is metal, such as steel and has a first coefficient of thermal expansion. An overlay element, such as a decorative element, is coupled to the outer surface of at least one of the outer skins. The overlay element includes a fiber-reinforced thermoset material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. In one specific embodiment, the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion are substantially equal.
In one embodiment, the overlay element includes a pultruded fiber-reinforced thermoset material. In yet another aspect, the overlay element is adhesively coupled to the outer surface. The adhesive may, for example, include a hot-melt adhesive, a two-part glue, or double-sided adhesive tape.
In other embodiments of this invention, a door panel for use as a component of an overhead garage door includes a body portion and an outer skin coupled to the body portion. The outer skin includes a metallic outer surface, for example steel and has a first coefficient of thermal expansion. An overlay element such as a decorative element is coupled to the outer surface and includes a fiber-reinforced thermoset material having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. In one specific embodiment, the first and second coefficients of thermal expansion are substantially equal. In another aspect, the overlay element is a pultruded fiber-reinforced thermoset material. The overlay element may be adhesively coupled to the outer surface such as with a hot-melt adhesive, a two-part glue, or double-sided adhesive tape.
In yet another embodiment of this invention, a method of making a panel for an overhead door includes the step of roll-forming a metal sheet into an outer skin of the panel. An overlay element is formed from a fiber-reinforced thermoset material and mounted onto an outer surface of the outer skin of the panel. The first coefficient of thermal expansion of the metal sheet is matched with a second coefficient of thermal expansion of the fiber-reinforced thermoset material.
The objectives and features of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:
With reference to the drawings and, more particularly, to
The adjacent panels 14 are pivotally connected together by a number of hinge assemblies 24. The hinges 24 positioned proximate the lateral side ends of each panel 14 include a roller assembly 26 for coupling the door 10 to a track assembly 28. Opening and closing of the door 10 may further be facilitated by a counterbalance system 30 coupled to the door 10 as is well known in the art.
With continued reference to
With reference to
The physical attributes of the door panel 14 may be controlled by one or more variables. For example, the materials defining each of the skins 38, 42, 50, 52, may be suitably chosen. For example, the skins 38, 42, 50, 52 may include a metal such as steel and further include one of many colors, finishes, textures and/or treatments. These exemplary choices for the skins 38, 42, 50, 52 may, for example, affect one or more characteristics thereof such as, and without limitation, their compressive strength, tensile strength, yield strength, thermal expansion or contraction when exposed to specific weather conditions, and corrosion resistance.
In certain embodiments, for example, the outer skin 38 is of metal and has a thickness T1 of between about 0.010 or less and about 0.04 gage or higher. In certain embodiments, also, the skins 38, 42, 50, 52 may be smooth or embossed with a wood grain or other texture. Similarly, the outer skin 38 may be made of a metal having a specific coefficient of thermal expansion generally referred to herein as coefficient of thermal expansion “a.”
While a lock seam joint configuration is shown in
Another exemplary embodiment of a door panel 14 according to this invention is shown in
With reference to
The overlay element 70 in one embodiment is made of a suitably chosen thermoset material. For example, and without limitation, the thermoset material may be of a type reinforced by fibers. Moreover, the thermoset material may be of a pultruded type. The specific type of thermoset material chosen determines, among other things, the coefficient of thermal expansion thereof, generally referred to herein as coefficient of thermal expansion “b.”
In certain embodiments, the thermoset material may be chosen to have a coefficient of thermal expansion “b” that matches i.e., is substantially equal to the coefficient of thermal expansion “a” of the outer skin 38 and, more particularly, at the outer surface 40 of the outer skin 38. In these embodiments, the proximity of coefficients “a” and “b” of thermal expansion may, for example, be such that there is no visible (i.e., to the human eye) expansion of the outer skin 38 relative to a confronting surface 70a of the overlay element 70.
With reference to
In cases where adhesive is used, an adhesive element such as one in the form of a single layer of adhesive may be applied to the confronting surface 70a prior to coupling with the outer surface 40. Alternatively, the adhesive element may be applied to the outer surface 40 of the outer skin 38 prior to coupling of the overlay element 70 thereto. Alternatively also, the adhesive element may be applied to both surfaces 44, 70a.
With continued reference to
Referring to
With reference to
It should be readily appreciated that although certain embodiments and configurations of the invention are shown and described herein, the invention is not so limited. From the above disclosure of the general principles of the present invention and the preceding detailed description of exemplary embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily comprehend the various modifications to which this invention is susceptible. For example, while a specific type of overhead garage door is depicted herein, other types of overhead garage doors are contemplated. Therefore, this invention is intended to be limited only by the scope of the following claims and equivalents thereof.
